MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Israel will not allow Iran to have military a presence in Syria or its own nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed shortly after an alleged Israeli strike on a target in Syria.
"Let me reiterate Israel's policy. We will not allow a regime hell-bent on annihilation of the Jewish state to acquire nuclear weapons, we will not allow that regime to entrench itself militarily in Syria as it seeks to do for the express purpose of eradicating our state," Netanyahu said in a video message posted on his Facebook on Saturday.
READ MORE: Israel Free to Act in Syria to Defend Own Security — Defense Minister
According to local media reports that haven't yet been officially confirmed by either Damascus or by Tel Aviv, Syria has repelled an Israeli attack on a "military position" near Damascus. Some media outlets speculated that the possible target may have been an Iranian base and several Iranian troops may have been injured in the attack allegedly carried out by Israel.
Tehran has repeatedly denied reports of having a base in Syria as well as conducting military operations there, however, stressed its cooperation with the country's leadership in the fight against various terrorist groups, including Daesh, and acts as one of the guarantors of the ceasefire in the Arab Republic jointly with Russia and Turkey.
READ MORE: Rouhani Assures Assad of Iran's Support for Syria in Combating Terrorism
Netanyahu's video was reportedly taped on Thursday and is expected to be shown in full on Sunday at the Brookings Institution’s annual Saban Forum in Washington.
